Edelman EMEA Chief Hesselink Steps Down After 10-Year Tenure

The head of one of the world's biggest PR agencies in Europe is leaving. Arent Jan Hesselink, who ran Edelman's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations as president and CEO for a decade, has announced his departure.

No replacement has been named yet. That gap matters because EMEA is Edelman's largest international region and it's sitting without a leader at one of the most turbulent moments the PR industry has seen in years.

This isn't just a personnel change. It's a signal of how much pressure top communications agencies are under right now.

Why This Departure Lands So Hard

Hesselink didn't arrive in a senior role. He worked his way up inside Edelman over 10 years, starting with the Netherlands operation, moving to run the Amsterdam office, then stepping into the COO role for EMEA, and finally becoming regional president and CEO. That kind of institutional knowledge doesn't transfer quickly to a new hire.

His exit also comes with no public succession plan. That's unusual for an agency this size. It creates uncertainty for clients, staff and the wider market.

The Numbers Behind the Timing

Edelman's EMEA region posted nearly flat revenue in 2025, rising just 0.5% to US$243 million from US$234 million the year before. The growth that did happen came almost entirely from the Middle East, where UAE revenue jumped 33% and Saudi Arabia climbed 68%. Core European markets, the majority of what Hesselink's team managed, showed little momentum.

At the same time, Edelman's global revenue fell 4% in 2025, following a 4.9% drop in 2024. US revenue fell 8.1%. The firm slipped below US$1 billion in annual revenue for the second year running.

In late 2024, Edelman cut roughly 330 jobs, around 5% of its global workforce, and closed down six smaller subsidiary brands. These are not the conditions under which a regional CEO typically exits by choice.

A Sector in Upheaval

The Hesselink departure doesn't happen in isolation. The PR and communications industry is going through a generational reshaping.

In late 2025, Omnicom completed its US$13 billion acquisition of IPG, creating the largest advertising group in the world by revenue. The fallout included Golin merging with Ketchum and Porter Novelli being absorbed into FleishmanHillard. The global market went from 10 major full-service PR firms to five: Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Burson, FleishmanHillard and Golin.

Edelman is the only major independent left. Richard Edelman has publicly described that status as a competitive strength. But independence also means there's no parent company to quietly absorb leadership disruptions or fund aggressive succession planning.

WPP, the world's largest advertising holding group, is navigating its own parallel upheaval. CEO Mark Read, who spent over 30 years at the firm, exited in 2026. The pattern across the industry is clear: financial pressure and competitive repositioning are forcing leadership change at the top.

What to Watch Next

For marketing and communications leaders across Asia and beyond, the immediate question is straightforward. Who replaces Hesselink, and how quickly?

The successor's background will signal Edelman's strategic priorities for EMEA. A candidate from the Middle East would indicate the agency plans to double down on its fastest-growing sub-region. A European insider would suggest continuity. An external hire from outside the agency world would signal a more aggressive pivot.

Edelman's EMEA clients with cross-regional briefs should expect a period of transition. That's not necessarily a crisis, but it is a window where competitor agencies will actively try to pick off accounts.